Occupation uses warplanes as a deterrent due to loss of control in West Bank by Mohammad Abu Shamha

Due to the inability of the Israeli Occupation army to control the escalation of resistance operations taking place in the occupied West Bank cities, especially in Jenin and Nablus, it has resorted to using helicopters and drones in order to reach the resistance fighters.

The Occupation’s use of various types of planes reflects its failure to reach the Resistance, and the decline of its control over the West Bank, which it besieged, and is storming its cities and villages daily, according to observers.

Yesterday, Jenin Camp witnessed an intense flight of the Occupation army’s Apache helicopters during the storming of the camp, and the arrest of one of the Resistance fighters, as well as engaging in major protests with the Occupation.

This was preceded by talk of the Occupation army about activating “combat helicopters” against the Resistance fighters in Jenin, in light of Israeli warnings of an “imminent military operation” from the city.

Last May, Jenin witnessed the killing of officer Noam Raz of the Israeli Al-Yamam unit, which is one of the top Special Forces units in the Occupation army, during its recent storming of the Jenin Refugee Camp. This caused the Occupation to use planes during its raids in an attempt to secure its forces.

Military expert, Youssef Al-Sharqawi, believes that the Occupation army’s doctrine is based on the use of heavy firepower to achieve its goals, in addition to never harming its strength. That is why it uses planes during its raid on Jenin. Al-Sharqawi told Felesteen newspaper that the Occupation is trying to deter the resistance fighters in Jenin and Nablus through its use of armed military aircraft, but this reduces its superiority on the ground in the occupied West Bank.

He noted that the Occupation wants to reduce its losses and bloodshed and increase the losses and bloodshed in the ranks of the Palestinian Resistance, especially with the new challenge that has arisen through the strength of the Resistance.

Al-Sharqawi pointed out that the Occupation army’s use of all types of planes requires the Resistance fighters to take the utmost care and caution, and work on camouflaging and hiding themselves from these planes, since they cannot reach every home.

He also said that the Occupation army’s planes that are being used, especially the drones, are controlled through a ground operations room, to obtain accurate pictures of the camp, its streets and the movements of the Resistance fighters during the protests.

As for political analyst, Adel Shadeed, he stated that the Occupation army uses the latest weapons including different planes, tanks and drones, in order to avoid any casualties among its ranks. Shadid explained to Felesteen that the Occupation wants the use of military aircraft and drones to achieve the largest losses among the Palestinian Resistance fighters in the cities of the West Bank, which are witnessing confrontations with its army.

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He pointed out that the Occupation will continue to use military aircraft in all the upcoming confrontations, as long as the casualties among its soldiers are few. Shadeed also noted that the Occupation army had previously used F-16 aircraft during the Al-Aqsa Intifada, bombed security centres, and carried out assassinations of Palestinian Resistance fighters and figures, so he does not rule out the Occupation using warplanes during the current confrontations.

The political analyst also does not rule out the fact that the Occupation army would use tanks on the ground in Jenin and Nablus in order to reduce the casualties among its soldiers, and to achieve casualties among the Resistance fighters.

The occupied West Bank is witnessing a significant escalation in the Resistance operations, at the level of shooting at the Occupation army’s checkpoints and settlers and throwing explosive and incendiary devices, in response to the Occupation’s crimes in occupied Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.

This article first appeared in Arabic in Felesteen on 9 October 2022